Revolving shelf construction



P 1961' w. B. HALLMARK 3,000,514

REVOLVING SHELF CONSTRUCTION Filed July 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 s I r r 0a 7 a N k &

RS N

3 i' milum Wya/f B. Hal/mark [N V EN TOR.

BY @Mmi ia WWW Em Sept. 19, 1961 Filed July 13, 1959 Fig. 2

W. B. HALLMARK REVOLVING SHELF CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wyatt B. Hal/mark INVENTOR.

3,000,514 REVOLVING SHELF CONSTRUCTION -Wyatt B. Hallmark, 2807 Pleasant Drive, Dallas, Tex. Filed July 13, 1959, Ser. No. 826,615 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-144) This invention relates generally'to cabinets and shelving therefor and more particularly to a revolving shelf construction adapted to be inserted in conventional cabinet shelves.

The limited accessibility of conventional cabinet constructions hampers the users thereof inasmuch as considerable time must often be expended in attempting to reach out-of-the-way shelf locations. Accordingly, because of the inaccessibility of conventional constructions, cabinet shelves are often spread out and maximum utilization is not made of the available room. Accordingly, the

invention herein pertains to means for improving the accessibility of cabinet shelves by including revolvable circular shelf inserts to replace portions of conventional sub stantially rectangular cabinet shelves, for improving the accessibility thereof. Although the invention herein was particularly developed to provide improved accessibility to the corner shelf of kitchen cabinets or such, the teachings set forth herein may be well adapted for utilization in various types of shelving.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel revolving shelf construction for improving the accessibility of cabinet sheIves.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide novel means for incorporating revolvable shelf inserts in conventional substantially rectangular cabinet shelves. The revolvable shelf inserts are freely revolvable and make no use of a center post or other impeding element. Novel roller support means are secured to the shelves adjacent a circumference of a circular opening formed therein. The circular shelf insert is supported on the roller support means and is revolvable relative to the shelf for providing maximum accessibility thereto. The roller support means preferably include a bracket which rotatably retains horizontally rotatable cylindrical rollers or balls. In order to assure proper revolvability of the shelf insert, buffer rollers, revolving about a vertical axis. and adapted to engage the arcuate surface of the circular insert, are provided.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and. claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a multi-tier cabinet construction incorporating the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a first form of roller support means, said means including a rotatable ball;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the roller support means of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of roller buffer means, said means including a rotatable ball;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a roller support and buffer means wherein rotatable cylindrical rollers are utilized;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the roller support and buffer means illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of roller support and bufler means wherein again cylindrical rollers are utilized;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the roller support and buffer means illustrated in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of a still further form of roller support means wherein a horizontally rotatable cylindrical roller is utilized.

S t s a e-fi 3,000,514 Patented Sept. 19, 1961 at 26 with portions of the construction extending outwardly therefrom perpendicular to each other. In order to gain maximum accessibility to the various shelf locations, the invention contemplates the replacement of portions of the shelves with circular shelf inserts or disks generally designated as 28. The various shelf inserts 28 are adapted to be accommodated within circular openings 29 formed in the various shelves 18, 20 and 22. Roller support means and buffer means generally designated by 30 are secured to the various shelves 18, 20 and 22.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be noted that a bracket 32 is provided having an apertured horizontal portion 34 apertured to receive screw 36 in the shelf as 18. The bracket 32 further includes a depending vertical portion 38 defining a first leg and a second leg" 40 spaced therefrom and connected thereto by a bight portion 42. A cross member 44 connects the legs 38 and 40 spaced from but parallel to the bight portion 42 A ball 46 lightly rests on the bight portion 42 and extends through an aperture 48 formed in the cross member" 44. The shelf insert 28 is adapted to abuttingly rest on the ball 46. As illustrated in FIGURE 1, a plurality of brackets, as 32, forming roller support means are provided about the circumference of the shelf inserts 28 forsupporting the shelf inserts. under the desired load condi--- tion and for enabling the inserts 28 to be revolved to gain: accessibility to the various shelf locations.

FIGURE 4 illustrates roller butler means which may be utilized in conjunction with the roller support means of FIGURES 2 and 3. Here a bracket 50 is illustrated and'i includes a first leg 52 and second leg 54 bridged by a bightportion 56. The leg 52 has an aperture 53 therein to receive screw 58 securing the bracket 50 to the shelf 18. An aperture 60 is formed in the second leg 54 and a ball 62 extends outwardly therefrom and is adapted to engage the arcuate surface of the circular insert 28 to act as a buffer for increasing the revolving efficiency of the shelf insert 28.

With continuing reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, a!

combined roller support and buffer device is provided? and includes a substantially J-shaped bracket generally" designated as 64 having a horizontal top portion 66, a first leg 68 and a second leg 70. The first and second legs 68 and 70 respectively are bridged by a bight portion 72. The horizontal portion 66 is provided with apertures for receiving screws 74 therethrough to secure the bracket 64 to the shelf 18. A window is provided in the upper part of the first leg 68 and is designated by the numeral 76. Rotatably retained in the window 76 is a cylindrical roller 78 mounted for rotation about a vertical pivot 79. Secured between the first and second legs 68 and 70 are a pair of cylindrical rollers 80 and 82 which are mounted for rotation about horizontal pivots 81 and 83, respectively. As is particularly illustrated in FIGURE 5, the shelf insert 28 is adapted to rest on the cylindrical rollers 80 and 82 with the arcuate surface thereof abutting the buffer roller 78 mounted for rotation about a vertical axis. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the shelf insert 28 may be easily revolved on the supporting rollers 88 and 82 and the buffer roller 78.

With continuing reference to FIGURES 7 and 8, a generally U-shaped bracket 84 is provided defining a hori- 'zontal portion 86 having a cylindrical roller 88 rotatably supported thereon and extending upwardly therefrom on a vertical pivot or axle 89. The bracket 84 includes a first leg 90 and a second leg 92 bridged by a bight portion 94; Rotatably supported between the first-and second legs 90 and 92 for rotation about a horizontal axle or pivot 95 is a cylindrical roller 96 upon which the shelf insert 28 is adapted to rest. The bufier roller 88 is adapted to engage the arcuate surface of the shelf insert 28 to assure the proper revolving performance of the shelf insert 28. Apertures are provided in the horizontal portion 86 to receive bolts 98 therethrough to retain the bracket 84 on the shelf 18.

FIGURE 9 illustrates the device shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 with the buffer roller 88 removed; that is, the device of FIGURE 9 is merely a roller support including a horizontally rotatable cylindrical roller 100 carried by bracket 102 on a horizontal axle 101.

; It will be appreciated that no matter which particular buffer and support means are utilized, the shelf insert 28 will be supported in alignment with the shelf 18 for providing maximum utility and convenience. It will further be appreciated that the utilization of the teachings of this invention will assure maximum accessibility and usefulness of the shelf area.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

a 1. An article of furniture comprising, in combination, a plurality of vertically spaced shelves including front edges, supporting means for said shelves including uprights recessed thereinto flush with said front edges thereof at longitudinally spaced points, said shelves having substantially circular openings therein, and rotary disks operable in the openings flush with the top surfaces of the shelves, said openings having communication with said front edges at points between said uprights for providing access to portions of the peripheries of said disks for manually rotating same.

2. A shelf having a circular opening therein and further having a plurality of recesses therein communicating with the opening, a rotary disk operable in the opening, and means for rotatably supporting said disk in said opening, said means comprising generally U-shaped brackets at spaced points around the opening, said brackets including an apertured, right angularly bent end portion secured to the shelf, at least one roller journaled for rotation on a horizontal axle in the brackets and engaged beneath the disk for supporting same horizontally, and rollers journaled for rotation on vertical axles on the brackets, the last named rollers being operable in the recesses and protruding therefrom into the opening and engaged with the periphery of the disk for radially guiding same. 3. A shelf having a circular opening therein and further having a plurality of recesses therein communicating with the opening, a plurality of generally J-shaped brackets mounted on the shelf at spaced points around the opening at the recesses, said brackets each includ-; ing one right angularly bent, apertured end portion se-. cured on the shelf over one of the recesses, horizontal rollers journaled in the lower portions of the brackets beneath the opening, horizontal tongues struck from the vertical upper portions of the brackets and extending beneath said angularly bent end portions thereof and providing openings in said vertical upper portions, vertical rollers journaled between said tongues and said angularly bent end portions of said brackets, said vertical rollers being operable in the recesses and protruding through the second named openings, and a rotary disk operable in the shelf opening on the horizontal rollers and peripherally engaged with the vertical rollers.

4. A shelf having a circular opening therein and fur.- ther having a plurality of recesses therein communicating with the opening at circumferentially spaced points,v a plurality of generally U-shaped brackets mounted on, the shelf beneath the opening at the recesses, said brackets including right angularly bent end portions extending beneath the recesses and secured beneath the shelf for mounting said brackets thereon, horizontal rollers jour-Q naled in the brackets, a disk rotatably mounted in the opening on said rollers, and upstanding vertical rollers journaled on said right angularly bent end portions of said brackets, said vertical rollers being operable in the recesses and engaged with the periphery of the disk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bodine Dec. 14, 1915 I 

